"You Promised You'd Stay"
Ep : 05
RHEA VISITS AYAN'S FLAT FOR THE 1ST TIME
SHE NOTICES SOMETHING HE HIDES — A LETTER
BUT SOMETIMES... GRIEF NEEDS TO BE SEEN, NOT FIXED
Rhea
(noticing a folded page stuck in a book)
Rhea
Can I ask what this is?
Ayan
(hesitates)
A letter.
Ayan
For someone who's gone.
Ayan
Someone who never got to read.
Rhea
You don't have to show me.
AYAN HANDS HER THE LATTER
WRITTEN ON WORN, CREAM PAPER
DATED EXACTLY 1 YEAR AFTER LYRA'S DEATH
(DEAR LYRA,
IT'S BEEN 365 DAYS SINCE YOU STOPPED REPLYING.
BUT I STILL TEXT YOU.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW NOT TO.
SOME NIGHTS, I WAKE UP THINKING I MISSED A CALL FROM YOU.
OTHER NIGHTS… I HOPE YOU'LL WALK THROUGH THE DOOR AND SAY IT WAS ALL A JOKE.
I DON'T WANT TO MOVE ON.
I WANT TO MOVE WITH YOU.
IN MY WORDS. IN THE SKY. IN THE WAY I NOW SAY “I'M OKAY” WHEN I’M NOT.
BUT TODAY…
I WATCHED A GIRL SKETCH THE SUN.
AND I DIDN'T FEEL GUILTY.
I FELT WARM.
IS THAT WRONG?”
IF YOU'RE LISTENING…
I HOPE YOU KNOW THIS :
I LOVED YOU IN THE PRESENT TENSE.
AND I MISS YOU IN EVERY ONE THAT FOLLOWED.
— AYAN)
RHEA FOLDS THE LETTER BACK, GENTLY.
Rhea
She must’ve been… incredible.
Ayan
She was.
She still is.
Ayan
She’s not here… but she still lives in the way I breathe slower.
Ayan
In the way I look at the moon.
Rhea
(softly):
Then let me be someone
who doesn’t erase her —
just stands beside her memory
without stepping on it.
THAT NIGHT — AYAN DOESN'T CRY.
INSTEAD, HE OPENS A BLANK PAGE IN HIS NOTEBOOK AND WRITES :
(“GRIEF DIDN'T LEAVE.
BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME…
IT SAT BESIDE SOMEONE ELSE AT THE TABLE.”)
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